[Seoul District News] Jongno-gu Recruiting 30 Members for 1st 'Jongno Youth Network' by May 20; Apply via Email or Visit Job Economy Division - Selected Members Participate in Policy Education and Discussions until November... Mapo-gu Recruiting 19 New Members for 2-Year Terms by May 13... Jung-gu Operating Eco-Friendly Green Leader Education Program... Yeongdeungpo-gu Boosting Local Tourism and Dining Industry... Gangbuk-gu Establishing Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Disposable Product Use and Promote Recycling
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu is accepting applications for the first term of the 'Jongno Youth Network' until May 20 to create a community where young people can be happy.
Last year and this year are considered the inception period of Jongno youth policies, aiming to establish a foundation for more active participation of young people in local issues.
Accordingly, the 'Jongno Youth Network' is planned to be operated, where young people voluntarily come forward to freely discuss their issues within the community and directly discover and propose related policies.
Anyone aged 19 to 39 (born between April 12, 1982, and April 11, 2003) who resides in the area or works or studies at a workplace or university located in Jongno can apply.
Applications can be submitted by sending the application form along with supporting documents such as a certificate of employment via email to the person in charge or by visiting the Job Economy Division during the application period. The form must be downloaded from the district office website and used as is.
The final number of selected participants is 30, and the results will be individually notified on May 23. Subsequently, the Jongno Youth Network members will receive a modest activity allowance and actively participate in activities including the launch ceremony in June, policy education, policy discovery and proposal, discussion meetings, and related events until November this year.
Previously, in November last year, Jongno-gu operated the 'Youth Knock' public forum composed of 17 young people and four subcommittees.
This forum was a place to explore and present community-based policies deemed essential from the youth perspective. Participants deeply considered their issues, sought alternatives, and even attempted direct policy planning, making it a meaningful time.
A district official stated, "We aim to support young people in planning and discovering policies they can feel in their daily lives. We will continue to listen to residents' opinions and strive to create policies together to build a community where young people can be happy."
Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) is recruiting 19 members for the '2022 Mapo Youth Policy Network' until May 13 to represent the voices of young people.
The district has been operating the 'Mapo Youth Policy Network' since 2020 to guarantee active social participation opportunities for youth and to discover community-based youth policies reflecting their needs.
Last year, four policy projects directly proposed by the network members were selected for the 'Seoul Youth Autonomous Budget System' support project, securing a subsidy of 160 million KRW.
Especially this year, starting with foundational projects centered on the 'Youth Policy Network Operation Secretariat,' three specialized projects will be promoted through public contests: 'Mapo Son-gil' assisting young single-person households with moving, 'Zero Waste Mapo' with young small business owners, and the 'Youth Creator Network' foundation project based on Mapo's local culture and arts.
Accordingly, the district is recruiting 19 new members for the 'Youth Policy Network' until May 13.
Appointed members will serve a two-year term and belong to subcommittees such as 'Employment and Labor,' 'Housing and Finance,' 'Culture, Arts, and Welfare,' and 'Gender Equality and Climate,' actively representing youth voices.
Main activities include discovering and proposing agendas related to youth issues, providing diverse opinions on Mapo-gu's youth support policies, promoting youth exchanges in the region, and participating in district government activities and events related to youth policies. Members will receive a modest activity allowance based on participation.
Anyone aged 19 to 34 residing in Mapo-gu or active in universities, workplaces, or youth organizations located in Mapo-gu can apply.
Interested youth can access the 'MaCheongNet Application Form' link, submit the online application, and then send necessary documents such as a resident registration abstract to the Mapo Youth Policy Network Operation Secretariat via email.
The district will review submitted documents and select the final members in May, posting the results on the Mapo-gu Office website's 'Notices' section and notifying applicants individually.
For more details, contact the Child and Youth Division Youth Team at Mapo-gu Office or the Mapo Youth Policy Network Operation Secretariat.
A district official said, "We hope that motivated young people will actively participate in the 'Youth Policy Network,' which can solve youth issues from the youth perspective. We will promote various youth policies using youth policy governance to move toward a hopeful Mapo for young people."
Jung-gu (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) has launched eco-friendly Green Leader education to improve waste disposal culture and raise residents' awareness of resource circulation.
This education, conducted at the Jung-gu Waste Research Institute 'Saerom,' targets Clean Coordinators and members of professional organizations.
In the training held last month for newly hired 'Village Clean Coordinators,' topics included the current status and solutions of waste problems and proper waste separation methods. The 'Clean Coordinators,' composed of residents from each neighborhood, engage in promotional activities to establish a proper waste disposal culture and identify and manage habitual illegal dumping areas and cleaning blind spots.
In April, five sessions of education will be conducted for members of professional organizations in each neighborhood, covering topics such as understanding waste and proper separation and disposal, the waste crisis, and transition to a resource-circulating society.
Although Jung-gu has the smallest population among Seoul's autonomous districts, it has a high floating population due to concentrated central commercial areas like Myeongdong and Dongdaemun, making waste problems severe. Moreover, with the metropolitan landfill site scheduled to close in 2025, a waste crisis is anticipated. Therefore, the district is conducting various activities to reduce waste and change residents' awareness of proper waste disposal.
Opened in October last year, the Jung-gu Waste Research Institute 'Saerom' is the nation's first specialized education facility for waste issues and serves as the control tower for Jung-gu's resource circulation policies. It hosts resource circulation education and related exhibitions to promote eco-friendly habits in daily life and supports resident groups. It also functions as a resource circulation hub by promoting high-quality recycling exchange projects for items like paper packs and batteries.
A district official said, "We plan to conduct effective education targeting specific groups each month to address environmental issues such as waste and the climate crisis." They added, "We will develop and operate educational programs tailored to children's and adolescents' levels so they can properly understand the importance of nature and the environment and practice eco-friendly habits from an early age."
Meanwhile, last year, the district's household waste intake reached 87.9% of the target, earning it the top district award in Seoul's waste intake management system.
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is attracting attention by holding the 'Yeongdeungpo Tourism Sale Festa' in collaboration with local tourism businesses and the dining industry, coinciding with the opening of spring flower paths in April.
This event aims to support the tourism and dining industries, which have been hit hard by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, and revitalize the local economy. The district plans to offer abundant events to encourage tourists to visit the area as the mood for daily life recovery spreads.
About 350 local businesses, including hotels, leisure and tourism companies, shopping malls, and restaurants, are participating in the 'Yeongdeungpo Tourism Sale Festa,' which runs from April through October, offering various attractions and events.
Especially with the opening of spring flower paths and the easing of social distancing, many visitors are expected, and various discounts on admission fees and payment amounts will be provided.
The district is also actively promoting the event and local excellent tourism resources through various media such as the official Yeongdeungpo-gu tourism Instagram and the Yeongdeungpo Culture and Tourism website.
The event features various themes such as 'COVID Safe Restaurants,' 'Yeongdeungpo Landmarks,' 'Subway Foodie Travel,' and 'Korean Food Travel,' providing content in the form of special exhibitions to encourage active visitor participation.
Additionally, the district plans to establish a system that allows users to check restaurant information online and make reservations and payments to enhance convenience for businesses and customers.
Details about participating businesses, special exhibitions, and various events can be found on the Yeongdeungpo Tourism Sale Festa website. Clicking banners posted on the district office or Yeongdeungpo Culture and Tourism websites will automatically connect users to the event page to enjoy discount benefits.
Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, "Through this Tourism Sale Festa, we aim to revitalize the domestic economy and secure the sustainability of the project by linking it with travel agency incentive support projects. We will make multifaceted efforts so that more visitors can take interest in and use Yeongdeungpo's tourism and dining industries."
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyum-soo) has established a 'Comprehensive Plan for Reducing Single-Use Products and Promoting Recycling' and will gradually move toward zero single-use products.
In response to the rapid increase in single-use product usage due to the spread of delivery culture and lifestyle changes after COVID-19, the district plans to actively participate in achieving the 40% carbon reduction target by 2030 through promoting recycling and reuse, contributing to realizing a carbon-neutral society.
First, the public sector will take the lead in practicing zero single-use products and will increase resident participation through public awareness campaigns. To this end, the district will continuously promote zero single-use products by banning single-use products for all employees, making recycling separation and multi-use cup use a daily habit, and operating single-use product self-inspection days.
Additionally, projects involving the private sector, such as exchanging transparent PET bottles and volume-based waste bags, exchanging milk cartons and roll toilet paper, coffee grounds recycling, producing shopping bags and sacks from discarded banners, reusing ice packs, and holding recycling sharing markets, will continue to foster consensus and voluntary participation in reducing single-use products.
In particular, the district plans to collaborate with private companies like Black Yak to promote high-quality recycled products (such as clothing) from transparent PET bottles and, this year, to use discarded sewing fabrics for interior and construction materials.
Mayor Park Kyum-soo said, "If every small action by residents to reduce single-use products accumulates, our future can change. I hope residents will join forces to make recycling and reuse a lifestyle habit and establish it as a daily culture."
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